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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — a box
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — army training
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com